Author: Alex Prichard

Cotto Espresso King William Road – Launch Party

- Alex Prichard Leave a comment

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date of launch: Wednesday 7 May 2014

While everyone takes note of a new bar opening (or is that just me?!), a new café on the scene is often a little more low key.

Not so Cotto Espresso which opened officially today (Thursday) and held its launch party last night.

Cotto Espresso is a vibrant, bright orange little café on King William Road. There’s a narrow bar at the front, for grabbing a quick coffee and pastry, and some seating at the rear.

Cotto even has a charity partner, the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation, and proceeds from the sales of the first day of trading were donated to the hospital’s Mother’s May campaign.

The launch party saw coffee flowing freely, with a guest appearance by an orange Lamborghini. As you do!

Cotto will not only sell you coffee – an impressive range of sandwiches and (house made) pastries was on display. And the ice cream looked amazing.

The good news is that there are already plans for future Cotto Espressos in both Glenelg and Prospect, so hopefully there will be one near you soon.

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Cotto Espresso
173 King William Road
Hyde Park SA 5061

Cotto Espresso on Urbanspoon

Mothers Day Functions

- Alex Prichard Leave a comment

Sunday 11 May

City

National Wine Centre

– from 12 pm, 4 courses with beverages, $85 per head (young adults $50, children $30), bookings on 08 8313 7462 or email nwc.info@adelaide.edu.au

Hilton Hotel

– buffet breakfast ($55 in The Brasserie, $49 Balcony rooms), buffet brunch ($65), high tea ($52).  Children 5 and under free, children aged 6-12 50% discount.  Bookings on 8217 2000.

Earl of Aberdeen (Coopers Alehouse)

– from 12pm, à la carte menu, complimentary bottle of bubbles for bookings of 10 or more.  Bookings on 8223 6433.

Apothecary 1878

– open for lunch and dinner, lunch $75 per person, dinner either $38 or $48 per person.  Bookings on 8212 9099.

South

 

Warradale Hotel

– 3 course lunch, Champagne on arrival, free raffle, $55 per head (children $15), bookings on (08) 8296 1019

Stamford Grand, Glenelg

– 9:30 – 11:30 buffet breakfast ($30 per head, children 5 and under free, $20 per child otherwise)

– 1:00 – 3:00 high tea, $34 per person

– bookings on 8376 1222

Lorraine Pascale’s Cookies & Cream Chocolate Brownies

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Cookies & Cream Brownies

It’s been a long time since I made any brownies but in the last week or so the planets aligned and gave me the opportunity to try out another recipe AND a new dedicated brownie pan.

Normally my brownies are cooked in an old, battered roasting tin lined with baking paper. It’s the perfect size for most recipes and it does a fab job. However, one of my friends has been on at me for quite a while to try out one of the many specialist brownie pans available. The idea with these pans is that they create extra edges so you get more corner pieces (and they, after all, are the best bits).

The one I bought was a cheapie from a chain store and it wasn’t entirely successful (thanks to another friend who very patiently fished out the brownies!) BUT I also didn’t read the instructions and I think there are ways I could improve things. Once I’ve discovered that one way or the other I’ll let you know.

Lorraine Pascale is a British model turned pastry chef (one of the weirder job transitions, I have to say!) and she now hosts tv shows and writes books. I do find her tv programmes a little too lifestyle-like for me (soft music, shots of her working at her computer while something bakes …) but a lot of the recipes have seemed really good and I think her programme is the ONLY time I’ve seen a fougasse cooked on tv.

For these brownies I used Delta Creams, though you could really use any chocolate biscuit you like, or perhaps substitute one of the many biscuit based chocolate bars. Or just leave it out altogether – the brownie mix is perfectly rich and delicious without the addition of biscuits!

Download the recipe.

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Lorraine Pascale’s Cookies & Cream Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

  • 165g unsalted butter
  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 165g light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp cocoa
  • pinch of salt
  • 154g chocolate cream biscuits (this worked out to be 10 Delta Creams) - optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan, 180°C convention) and prepare your favourite brownie baking receptacle. You'll need one about 20cm x 20cm.
  2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in short bursts in the microwave.
  3. In a stand mixer, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla together until light and frothy. Still whisking, slowly add the the sugar. Note that sometimes light brown sugar goes a little hard and clumpy in the jar/bag - if yours has done this, then make sure you sieve it/break up the lumps before beating into the eggs!
  4. Once the sugar is well combined, slowly add the chocolate and butter mix, beating all the time.
  5. Finally beat in the flour, cocoa and salt.
  6. The mixture will be very light and mousse like.
  7. If using the biscuits, roughly chop them into quarters and gently stir about a third of them into the brownie mixture.
  8. Tip the mixture into your prepared pan and smooth out. Scatter the remaining biscuit pieces over the top and lightly press into the mixture.
  9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. The top of the brownies will be set and start to crack and the centre should be cooked through but still moist - a few crumbs will cling to a toothpick.
  10. Allow to cool and then cut and serve.
https://eatingadelaide.com/lorraine-pascales-cookies-cream-chocolate-brownies/